Shinra Kusakabe
is a Third and Fourth Generation pyrokinetic, and a Fire Soldier for Special Fire Force Company 8. After his mother's death, and supposedly his younger brother's as well, Shinra joined the Special Fire Force to achieve his goal of becoming a hero, saving people from Spontaneous Human Combustion, and uncovering the truth behind his family's death twelve years ago. It is later revealed that Shinra possesses the Adolla Burst, making him The Fourth Pillar. Appearance Shinra is a teenager of average height, with short and spiky black hair, crimson eyes, and especially sharp teeth.Chapter 9, page 3 His eyes are also noteworthy as his pupils are white instead of black. When he was introduced, Shinra wore a dark jacket with a button on his collar shaped like a cross-like insignia over a light shirt, dark trousers and a belt. He also wore dark shoes which he burnt through via his Ignition Ability, and was noted to have done multiple times.Chapter 0, page 30 He was later presented with bunker gear, which consists of a dark t-shirt buckled at the waist with a belt, dark offshore trousers that have light patches on the front leg and pelvis area, which are strapped over his shoulders. Those are later topped by a protective outer jacket, trousers, a neck protector, protective gloves and a helmet with the number 8 on it, signifying his brigade. The buttons of his protective jacket are in the shape of cross-like symbols. Shinra's bunker gear trousers were specifically tailored by Maki Oze, so that they only reach below his knees instead of his feet, being advantageous so that he can freely use his Ignition Ability without having to worry about burning through his clothing.Chapter 0, page 40 Parts of his outfit are coated with blue lines. When not on a mission, Shinra is commonly seen wearing an orange coverall and white t-shirt underneath. His outfits contain patches with "8" on them, signifying his affiliation to Special Fire Force Company 8. Due to his Ignition Ability, he tends to walk barefooted or with sandals as they can easily be disposed of. Shinra's trousers generally are rolled up to just below his knees so he is able to use his ability without burning them. He has also rolled up his sleeves at times. Personality Shinra is brave, confident, and willing to help others. He is very proud of his ambition of wanting to become a hero, a promise he made with his mother when he was five.Chapter 0, page 45 He doesn't hesitate to act when the time calls for it, and can sometimes be impulsive in combat, but has also displayed the capability to step back and think about the situation before acting. Sometimes to his embarrassment, Shinra suffers from nervous laughter, a condition where animals naturally grin or show their teeth when nervous, stressed, angered or uncomfortable. He developed this condition after witnessing his mother die. His grin is sometimes mistaken for a menacing smirk by others, and because people thought Shinra killed his own mother, he gained the moniker of a devil, but fights to be recognized as a hero. Shinra respects Akitaru Ōbi as the Captain of his squad and as someone who fights Infernals without an Ignition Ability. He is shown to have good judgement and prioritizes what is important and what should be done rather than acting with personal emotions. Shinra acts selflessly towards civilians and has very high standards of what the Special Fire Force should represent.Chapter 12, page 11 He respects his fellow teammates and admires Akitaru for having the courage to fight Infernals without an Ignition Ability.Chapter 12, page 11 While Shinra works well with his brigade, his relationship with each member individually differs. Despite respecting Akitaru, he finds Leiutenant Takehisa scary, and bickers regularly with Arthur.Fire Walk with Me (Volume 1) Shinra isn't afraid to act on his own, even if confronted with multiple opponents.Chapter 12, page 9 He can be very pushy and demanding when it comes to gathering information on both his family's death twelve years ago and the secrets of the phenomenon, showing that he deeply cares about both matters. Due to the incident with his family's death, his promise made to his late mother and childhood aspirations of becoming a hero, he has developed an obsession of bringing his brother, Sho, back, once he learns that he is alive. While he is usually quick to be roused to angry justice when dealing with villains, he usually shows nothing but joy when he sees Sho, even if the latter holds only ill intentions for him and the world in general, disgusted with him and eager to beat him to a pulp when they meet, so much so that he calls the brutal battles between them to be 'play time'. His attachment is so strong that he could easily force an Adolla Link through Sho, even though Sho is aware of and actively resists such a link. He has a habit of adding '-man' to any hero name he thought up for himself, insisting of doing so just to complete the "man" (萬) part of the Japanese idiomatic lexeme , where both he and his brother are named after—yet another display of the attachment he holds towards his brother. Abilities Though a newcomer in the Special Fire Force, Shinra has posed a challenge to experienced members of the force and even defeated a Captain. Being a Fire Soldier, Shinra is experienced in rescuing people, and as such, was strong enough to carry four people out of a building before it exploded. While relying mostly on his Ignition Ability in combat, Shinra has exhibited skill in ordinary fighting, being able to pin an opponent to the ground and break their guard with a sturdy kick, as well as being capable of defending himself from ground-breaking attacks. Though break dancing is one of Shinra's hobbies, he also uses it in combat, creating unpredictable movements and kicks to attack with.Chapter 28, page 19-22 Shinra possesses exceptional eyesight, having been able to spot things that other members haven't been able to see at long distances. This was shown when Shinra identified the two White Robes that were sniping from multiple buildings away, as well as when he zoomed his vision in 2x more than normal to clearly spot an insect from far away. Ignition Ability As a child, Shinra awakened the ability of a Third Generation and gained the ability to ignite, control, and utilize flames from his feet. While doing so, he leaves ashes on the floor in the shape of feet, which is known as the .Chapter 0, page 30 Using his ability in conjunction with his fighting style, Shinra has enough force in his kick to sever a limbChapter 11, page 16 or destroy an Infernal's core. With his kicks, he can cause an explosion on contact to lift an object as heavy as a car high into the air.Chapter 11, page 10-15 With his ignited feet, he can change the trajectory of his kicks in mid-air, allowing him to rush in with a flurry of kicks one after another repeatedly. Shinra is noted to have an excelled proficiency in his mobility while fighting, as his Ignition Ability allows him to fly or glide across the floor rapidly and jump continuously from platforms to outmaneuver an opponent before they can react. As a Third Generation, he has shown to have resistance against external flames. During his fight with Burns in Fuchū Prison, Shinra's footprints evolved further with bladed talons at the edges of his feet (the anime makes it appear that his footprints have talons from the beginning).Fire Force Episode 1 Hand Signs/Seals Shinra was taught by Captain Benimaru how to utilize hand signs/seals in order to redirect and concentrate the energy in his body. This allows him to manipulate characteristics of the flames he produces from his Ignition Ability. * Tora Hishigi - A hand sign/seal used for directing focus and power to his feet; this allows Shinra to use Rapid, which increases the thrust of his flames, giving him an exponential boost in speed. * Corna - When Shinra uses this hand seal his flames manifest in an explosive nature, allowing him to attack with a lot more force. Adolla Burst Having the Adolla Burst, Shinra can be temporarily empowered with the Grace of the Evangelist through forcing an Adolla Link to a person who originates from Adolla, or someone graced.Chapter 120, page 18 Under Grace, Shinra can enter a state of light speed, causing his body to split into subatomic particles in the process. The particles then surpass the speed of light, allowing them to go a few seconds back in time to the point before Shinra's body broke apart. As a result, Shinra's body is re-materialized.Chapter 121, page 10-11 Doing so enables him to circumvent the laws of physics and allow him to travel at relativistic speeds without ending up dead. Under such state, Shinra could see images of Tempe's past in his head, and accumulate enough strength to defeat the Demon Infernal. The connection with his Adolla Burst is strengthened according to the intensity of his desire. Superfire Shinra has the ability to use Superfire, an ability that gives him 100% usage of his Ignition Ability, whereas only 30% is usually used.Chapter 168 In his case, Shinra uses the Pressure of Death to realize his Superfire, to which his flames turn blue due to their intensity and higher temperature. His flames also form a more controlled claw-shape. Background In Year 186, Shinra was five years old and lived with his mother and younger brother, Shō. As a young child, Shinra was passionate about heroism, dressing up as a superhero, mimicking heroic actions from television and aspiring to become a hero that could protect his supportive family.Chapter 11, page 3-4 One day, Shinra unexpectedly woke up to discover that his house was ablaze. Watching his mother engulfed in flames, she cried out to him, telling him to run. In the chaos, he sees a Demon who he believed is responsible for the fire. Shō's Adolla Burst influenced Shinra and triggered his Third Generation powers, causing him to fly backwards and knocking him out against a wall. Shinra was soon saved by Leonard Burns from the Special Fire Force Company 1. After the incident, his mother was stated to be dead, and as none of Shō's remains were found, it was assumed he was also killed. The ordeal and shock of his mother's death caused him to develop a nervous and ominous-looking grin, causing others to treat him like a devil. The incident and Shinra's grin caused people to shun him as a monster who killed his family with a smile. His grandmother refused to let him live with her out of fear and disgust for what he had supposedly done.Chapter 0, page 46 As Shinra couldn't control his Ignition Ability, he stayed at Haijima Industries, where they fitted him with liquid nitrogen boots to suppress his ability.Chapter 1, page 17 During his residence there, he and the other children received no freedom as well as zero comforts whatsoever, and the scientists only saw them as test subjects.Chapter 132, page 8 The Skill Developing Facility did tests on him, but they were unable to confirm if Shinra had the Adolla Burst. When he turned thirteen, he moved out and joined the Special Fire Force Training Academy,Chapter 132, page 13 with the hope that he could figure out the truth behind the fire incident, and to save other people from the despair of the flames. At the academy, he was still viewed as a devil due to his past. He learned the risks of Third Generations Overheating,Chapter 40, page 16-17 and also met Arthur, with whom he often bickered and fought while their mutual friend Ogun judged.Chapter 2, page 11 During his studies, Shinra assumed he would join Special Fire Force Company 4 upon graduating. However, he was instead assigned to Special Fire Force Company 8.Chapter 93, page 7 Plot Introduction arc En route to the Special Fire Cathedral 8, Shinra overhears an alarm in a nearby train station, due to the presence of an Infernal. He prepares to fight it, but Company 8 arrives and defeats the threat. Immediately after, he saves Iris from a falling light and introduces himself to the force. Later, at the force's headquarters, Shinra formally meets all the members and introduces himself. While settling in his new room, the force is notified of an Infernal and departs to the scene. Upon entering the factory, Shinra gets caught off guard and is knocked out by the Infernal, but is woken up by Akitaru seconds later. With words of encouragement, he overcomes his fear and resolves to fight. Launching himself at the being with his Ignition Ability, Shinra impales his opponent's core and purifies her soul. Outside, he overhears spectators cheering and is praised for his actions, much to his delight. Akitaru informs Shinra that he will be participating in an upcoming rookie competition, alongside a new recruit, which makes Shinra excited, as he sees it as a chance to meet the man who had saved his life. Shinra bumps into Arthur and gets into a fight with him. When Takehisa approaches the two, he orders Maki to fight the new recruits. Shinra is defeated by Maki's Second Generation ability limiting his own powers. After eating at Ippudo Ramen, Shinra is given a battleaxe to deal with an Infernal in the Iriya District in a domestic setting. Upon arrival, Akitaru pulls the two aside for disobeying his orders to conceal their weapons and explains his reasoning. After their conversation, a burst of flames emerges from the apartment, prompting the force to storm the building and find the Infernal. Arthur volunteers to put the man out of his misery, much to Shinra's confusion, and impales his core. Immediately after, the ceiling begins to collapse and Shinra watches on as Akitaru risks his life to save a family photograph for Mikako. Afterwards, he apologizes to the man for not being of any help during the mission. Shinra participates in the Rookie Fire Soldier Games, where he meets Tamaki. Later, he finds Leonard Burns and approaches him. After introducing himself, Leonard ignores him and leaves, and Shinra wonders whether the man is hiding something from him. When the exam begins, Shinra flies into the building where he discovers two unconscious people and Joker. After the man reveals that he knows of Shinra's past and threatens to kill the injured people, Shinra attacks him, but to no avail. Joker rewards him for his efforts and tells him Shō is still alive, baffling Shinra. The boy questions Joker and attacks him with multiple fire-enhanced kicks. When Arthur and Tamaki discover the two, Shinra tries to warn them, but Arthur ignores him. When Joker uses an unknown substance to put their lives in jeopardy, Shinra grabs the two unconscious people and tells Arthur to cut a hole through the ceiling so they can escape. In mid-air, before Shinra could save Arthur and Tamaki from falling, Leonard jumps in and rescues Tamaki while Arthur is rescued by their teammates. Later, Akitaru promises to tell him the reason Company 8 was created. The following day, Akitaru explains to Shinra how and why their force was founded and informs him that the other Special Fire Forces are hiding something on their own end. They are then provided with information of the substance Joker had used by Takehisa. Shinra goes with Arthur to rescue a dog, who was reported to be stuck in a tree, and, after it tells the two that a trial for the release of Setsuo Miyamoto will be held soon, helps Mamoru hand out balloons to children. The two then learn of an accident in the courthouse from Takehisa, who was moving to the scene with the rest of the force. After giving Arthur a lift, the two Fire Soldiers fight the Infernal, with Shinra kicking the opponent and delivering a collaborative attack with Arthur. When Setsuo escapes, Shinra is told to catch up to him and Takehisa assures him that the threat has to be taken care of without prejudice. After Setsuo threatens to kill an innocent kid, Shinra stops him. The two then start their confrontation, with the Fire Soldier dominating the fight. When Shinra corners Setsuo and cuts off his right forearm, Hibana descends in front of the two. Hibana gazes at Shinra, causing him to collapse and orders him to lick her shoe as he is restrained by the 3 Angels of the 5th. After noticing an innocent kid being pushed out of the way, Shinra becomes infuriated and repels the angels away. He stands and challenges the Special Fire Force Company 5 to a fight as his own force arrives. Tōru Kishiri mocks Akitaru, which leads to Shinra and Arthur jumping in, but Maki and Takehisa detain the two, and afterward the two forces depart. VS. Special Fire Force Company 5 arc The next day, Takehisa approaches Shinra and demonstrates his ability, informing him that they will be facing unique abilities later on. Then he begins training the Fire Soldiers on the roof and informs Shinra of Hibana's past. In the church, he stumbles upon Iris and sees her crying. At night, Maki bursts in the room and informs Shinra that Iris has gone missing. Soon after, Shinra heroically arrives at the Special Fire Force Combine 5, where he is ordered to locate Iris. During his search, he infiltrates a mansion, where the Angels of the 5th attempt to attack him, but find themselves defeated with a swift kick. As he bursts through the door claiming the hero has arrived, he finds Iris being tormented by Hibana. He dashes towards Hibana with his ability but is cut short by her Ignition Ability, causing Shinra to feel dizzy and fall to the ground. Instead of accepting the loss, Shinra thinks the ability is nothing but simply his imagination, and through sheer willpower, manages to stand up steadily. Shinra goes in to attack, but due to his dizziness, falls to the ground and is tormented by Hibana's Cherry Blossom attack. Afterwards, he is trapped in a whirl of flames. Refusing to give up for Hibana's sake, Shinra overcomes her abilities and lands a punch on Hibana, knocking her unconscious. When she wakes up, Hibana describes how she was always relied on by her Sisters but she herself could never rely on anyone. This is when Shinra jumps up and states he will be her hero whenever she needs one, to which she blushes. A little while later, Shinra attended the dinner party held by the 5th as a backup plan for infiltrating it, allowing him to explain to the higher-ups that it was simply a late-night training collaboration. VS. Special Fire Force Company 1 arc Upon returning to base after defeating another Infernal, Company 8 and Hibana end up irritating Akitaru as he's trying to concentrate. Akitaru eventually decides that Shinra and Arthur need to infiltrate the 1st Special Fire Force and uncover any secrets they may be hiding. A while later, Shinra arrives at the 1st Special Fire Fighting Cathedral along with Tōru Kishiri and Takeru Noto. As he walks inside, Shinra meets Karim Flam and later encounters Leonard Burns with a sinister grin. Shinra doesn't hesitate to ask whether the newcomers can practice their own skills against those of the 1st in a practice-battle, much to everybody else's surprise. Everybody gathers in the training grounds, where Shinra witnesses Takeru battling Rekka Hoshimiya while Karim used his refrigeration ability to protect everyone. Afterwards, Shinra observes how powerful the Lieutenants are before preparing to fight Burns alongside Arthur. When Arthur finds his attacks effortlessly blocked by Burns, Shinra quickly jumps in with a flurry of kicks, but the Captain manages to parry them with ease. Shinra continues to rapidly attack him, hoping to defeat Burns and uncover his secrets about the incident 12 years ago, but Leonard comes out unharmed. Questioned on his reason for joining the Special Fire Force, Shinra expresses his desire to become a hero and save people from the Phenomenon. Despite previously beating Hibana, Burns proves too much for the young soldier and defeats him with a seemingly invisible blow. Shinra, annoyed at his loss, realizes how dangerous a threat from Company 1 would be. The next day, while in the dorm talking with the other trainees, Shinra is ordered by Tamaki to assist Karim in stopping an Infernal. When they arrive at the scene with Arthur, Karim orders him to stay put and help with gathering information. While looking around, Shinra spots a figure in clerical robes injecting a man with some sort of Bug, causing him to turn Infernal. Shinra and Arthur chase down the mysterious figure, only to discover Karim and Rekka standing together. Wanting to avoid a fight against one or both of the Lieutenants, Shinra lies about his actions and returns to the Cathedral with the rest after the situation is contained. Shinra and Arthur break into Karim's room to investigate, coming across the type of Bug used earlier in his desk. Karim catches the two and calmly explains that he has also been investigating the insect and a series of bizarre Infernal sightings involving children. The trio realizes that the only possible suspect for the earlier attack could be Rekka. They then set out to find and capture the killer, despite Karim's concerns. Later on, while looking for Rekka from the sky, Shinra comes across a sudden noise from an abandoned warehouse, and soon notices flames coming from the structure. He descends into the warehouse and stomps on Rekka's face to stop him from killing Tamaki. While trying to rescue the injured girl, Shinra is attacked by Rekka and the two begin to fight. Rekka realizes that Shinra's flames are reacting with his Bug, indicating that he's compatible with it and therefore possesses the Adolla Burst. Upon realizing how many people Rekka has killed in pursuit of the Adolla, Shinra impulsively attacks once again, only to be he is knocked backwards into Tamaki, who gently grips Shinra and begs him to stop Rekka. Determined and collected, Shinra calmly examines the situation and creates a battle strategy. Kicking Rekka into the air, Shinra jumps from wall to wall to propel himself to attack from any angle and bait Rekka into attacking. Once Rekka has left himself open with no footing to steady himself, Shinra kicks off the ceiling and strikes the killer with a fiery kick-flip, leaving his face scathed while the impact shakes the warehouse. Shinra is exhausted from the battle and risks overheating if he continues, however Rekka rises up to battle even if it means destroying his body. Rekka's ranting reveals his master, the Evangelist's, ultimate goal of creating a second Sun, and Shinra demands to know if his group was behind Shō's disappearance 12 years ago but to no avail. Karim intervenes by trapping Rekka in a pillar of ice. As Shinra takes a breath in relief, a sudden flare of light fired by a sniper shoots through the building and pierces Rekka through the chest, killing him. Despite everyone's shock, the sniper plans on eliminating all witnesses and severs Foien's arm with a second barrage. Shinra is ordered by Karim to use his ability to create a dust-storm in the room to blind the sniper and counter their attack. Through Karim's strategy the attacker is forced to retreat and Shinra's exhaustion prevents him from pursuing. After recalling all the recent events of people turning humans into Infernals and kidnapping children to teach the ways of the Sun God, Shinra realizes the preacher was the one who kidnapped Shō. Soon after, while still in the abandoned warehouse, Shinra informs Karim and Foien on the white hooded figures that killed Rekka. Karim then says he wants to help investigate the Evangelist, and he and Shinra shake hands to commemorate their partnership. Later on at the 1st Special Fire Fighting Cathedral, Shinra, Takeru and Tōru prepare to leave the 1st and return to their own forces. As he arrives back at the Cathedral 8, he begins to settle in, regathering his teammates strange antics. Just before he could let loose and relax, he spots Tamaki in front of him, startled. Akitaru then explains that as punishment, she has joined Company 8 until further notice. Shinra then asks about Arthur's whereabouts, to which Akitaru states he is lost. They later file a missing persons report. Preacher Pursuit arc Time passes and Arthur returns home. Akitaru has Shinra and Tamaki attend a gathering of the Captains with him in Central Tokyo to discuss recent events. Upon arriving, Shinra sets eyes on the 7th Captain and accidentally offends him. As the emperor of Tokyo arrives, the conference starts, and he talks of all the forces working together to track down the preacher. Raffles then directly speaks to Shinra about his attainment of an Adolla Burst, claiming he should protect it. The Company 3 Captain steps in and suggests that Shinra receives external protection from the Evangelist, considering she wants the Adolla Burst, but Shinra refuses. After the conference on his way to purchase utilities, Shinra runs into Joker in an alleyway. Preparing to fight, Joker calms him, and reveals that Shō is affiliated with the Evangelist, before swiftly leaving. Asakusa arc Upon arriving in Asakusa, Shinra's brigade meets Benimaru Shinmon and the Special Fire Force Company 7. Shinra quickly becomes angered by Benimaru's dismissive attitude before they are alerted to an Infernal. After Benimaru disposes of the threat, Shinra helps rebuild the city from the destruction caused by the ordeal. He later plays hide-n-seek with Hinata and Hikage , and then apologies to Benimaru for disrespecting him earlier. Shinra takes the opportunity to ask the Captain about Konro's condition. Re-grouping with his company, Shinra spots flames emerging from within the city and discovers Benimaru attacking Akitaru and Takehisa. Believing Company 8 was responsible for turning people into artificial Infernals, Benimaru attacks the pair, leading to Shinra intercepting the attack and joining Company 8's combined attack against Captain Benimaru. Defeating all except for Akitaru, Benimaru prepares his final attack on Akitaru, but is stopped by Konro who collapses. After the confrontation, Shinra checks to see if Konro is alright, during which he learns how Konro damaged his body after overusing his ignition ability. Upon hearing that Konro will die for his Captain, Shinra makes him promise to ask for his help if things become that dire. Soon after, the brigades discover that the White-Clad has infiltrated Asakusa, and posed as Hikage. Upon the discovery, the city erupts in flames, followed by the group being targeted by a Third Generation's Ignition Ability. Shinra and Arthur depart to search for the sniper, but find themselves under attack by the sniper and her partner. As Shinra and Arthur face the pair, they manage to overpower Haran, leading to him eating a Bug and turning himself into an Infernal with Horns. Vulcan's Workshop arc When Shinra and the rest of Company 8 arrive back at the cathedral, they are greeted by the brigade's new chief scientist Viktor Licht. After some confusion and odd behavior with Licht and Hibana, Shinra asks the two about the Adolla Burst. While Viktor and Hibana can provide detailed descriptions about the world and the Adolla Burst's impact upon it, Hibana does not know what the Adolla Link is while Viktor deceives him, saying he has never heard of it. Akitaru sends off Shinra, Arthur and Iris to recruit Vulcan for their company, leaving Shinra happy with the responsibility. As the trio walks inside of Vulcan's workshop, they stumble upon Yū, the child Shinra earlier saved from Setsuo Miyamoto. Hearing the voices outside his workshop, Vulcan walks out, telling the Fire Soldiers to leave at once. Soon after, they enter the workshop with Yū's admission. Shinra is jolted on the head by a soda can again, this time by Lisa. Shortly after introducing herself, they are disrupted by the loud banging of Vulcan's engineering work. After Vulcan brutally kicks his machine to test it, Giovanni suddenly arrives at the workshop and Shinra's group listens to his conversation with Vulcan. After learning that Giovanni is also trying to recruit Vulcan for Haijima, Shinra tells Vulcan that his Company is different from Haijima. After the clueless Arthur and curious Iris get into trouble with the robotic animals, much to Vulcan's delight, he decides to show them a stunning projection of world's animals and explains his goal to one day ensure the safety of all animals to the amazement Fire Force members. Shinra smiles and says to himself that Vulcan is perfect for them. After learning of Vulan's background from Lisa, the Adolla Link suddenly alerts Shinra to Giovanni's plan to kill Vulcan. After telling his peers, Shinra devises a plan to locate Giovanni's whereabouts while Arthur and Iris to protect the others in the workshop. After leaving the workshop, Shinra waits in a tree looking for suspicious activity but is knocked down and strangled by Giovanni. After a brief fight, Shinra is electrocuted into unconsciousness and given over to the White Clad. Regaining consciousness and struggling against his fire-resistant restraints, he is taken away by White Hoods. Hibana arrives and knocks out the two escorts before freeing him from his restraints. Charging back towards Vulcan's workshop, Arthur tells him to get inside the workshop as soon as possible, during which he bypasses Flail and Mirage. Bursting through the workshop door, Shinra immediately knees Giovani in the face. Afterwards, Shinra is overwhelmed by Giovani and entrapped in Lisa's tentacle-Ignition Ability. Vulcan manages to free Shinra using one of his inventions, allowing Shinra to attack Giovani with a barrage of kicks, knocking him through a wall and outside in the process. Shinra ventures outside to continue their battle but stops as the strange feeling in his legs returns. As he looks up to an overlooking hill, Shinra notices his brother Shō looking back at him. Overjoyed to be reunited, Shō immediately approaches and attacks Shinra in hopes of capturing him. Watching his little brother defeat Arthur and Hibana, Shinra is confused at Shō's speed, and doesn't know what to do. The workshop erupts in flames, swiftly followed by Viktor driving a truck packed with Shinra's group. Climbing aboard while carrying Arthur, the group is unknowingly protected from Shō by Joker. Taken to the hospital, Shinra reports to Akitaru and explains what happened and that Giovanni is a traitor. Realizing that Vulcan might still be in danger, Shinra suggests the best course of action would be for him to stay with them. Agreeing, Shinra is thanked for all his hard work. As Shinra attempts to hide his feeling about fighting his brother, he promises to help Vulcan achieve his dream of reviving extinct animals. While Company 8's allies gather to meet with Akitaru, it is decided that Arthur and Shinra should gain combat training by visiting the Company 7. Upon arriving in Asakusa, Shinra and Arthur are trained by Benimaru. He instructs Shinra to focus on his speed and combat awareness, leading to Viktor explaining that it can be achieved by condensing flames in a single direction before blasting. While initially struggling to angle his flames, Shinra mimics Benimaru's hand signs and starts to more easily control them. Benimaru then explains using hand signs in conjunction with Ignition Abilities to Shinra. With the new information and a focused mind, Shinra focuses on becoming faster: fast enough to catch up to Shō. Using the Tiger Sign, Shinra is able to launch himself forward with blistering speed. When Shinra is distracted by naming his new ability, Benimaru lashes out at the pair but they are able to dodge his kick, demonstrating their heightened awareness. During the sparring match, Shinra is almost able to catch Benimaru by surprise by using the tiger hand-sign. Benimaru praises Shinra's execution and growth, telling him to use this power well and that he has to protect his only living relative. Afterwards, Shinra experiences an Adolla Link with Shō. Netherworld arc Shinra has a dream in which he sees a woman, who he mistakes for Iris. Upon learning that the White Hoods are hiding in the Netherworld, the brigade enters, during which mist envelopes the group and separates the members. Shinra eventually escapes the fog and finds a Viktor being held at knifepoint, and he subdues the assailant with a kick. Later, Shinra collapses to his knees and begins hyperventilating as the Adolla Link activates. Shinra is bombarded with strange images while standing in a white void surrounded by burning bones. Shinra also sees a Demon Infernal, his mother, Captain Burns and the scarring of Sōichirō Arg. Shinra then sees an infant before snapping back to reality, only to see a path of demonic footprints. Shinra follows the footprints and discovers Shō at the end of the trail. After Shō refuses to acknowledge their mother as his parent, the brothers begin to fight. Using the Tiger Sign, Shinra is able to keep pace with Shō and manages to avoid his brother's unsheathed blade. However, Shō activates his Ignition Ability and begins to overwhelm Shinra. Shō claims Shinra will never catch him, despite his speed, because they exist in different universes. An Adolla Link is established, during which Shinra sees the Preacher. Afterwards, Shinra is slowly able to forge a Link with Shō, enabling him to move even faster. Shinra realizes that his sudden increase in speed is partly due to the Preacher's influence and that he'd be able to reach Shō's level if he were to gain 'Divine Protection'. Despite his new found power, Shinra is overwhelmed by Severed Universe. Being granted the Preacher's 'Divine Protection', Shinra is able disintegrate to move faster than light, allowing him to match Shō. Shinra and Shō clash for the final time, during which Shinra pulls Shō into a Adolla vision of his own creation. Showing his memories to Shō, his brother becomes overwhelmed with the images and cries. Returning to reality, Shinra accidentally rematerialized with Shō's sword piercing his body. This shocks his brother and amuses Haumea who then uses her abilities to brainwash Shō. Before she can take Shinra away, the other members of Company 8 arrive to protect him, leading to the White Hoods' retreat. Rather than pursue, Company 8 focuses on ensuring Shinra survives his injuries by rushing him to Special Fire Fighting Defence Clinic 6. There, Kayoko Huang performs surgery to save Shinra's life. Afterwards, he is approached by Leonard Burns. After sparring, the captain reveals that it was Shinra's mother that was the Demon Infernal he saw during his house fire, and that she was the one to take Shō during the incident. Unable to learn what became of his mother, he wonders if he can find her using his Adolla Link, prompting Shinra to remember his previous vision of Captain Arg and investigate him. Special Fire Force Company 4 arc Shinra decides to meet the Captain of Special Fire Force Company 4, Sōichirō Arg, as he has some relation to the Adolla Burst. Upon arriving at the 4th's main headquarters, he meets his old friends from the academy, Ogun and Karin. He soon ventures inside the building to meet the Captain, and soon after they talk about the Adolla Burst, they are both attacked by what seems to be the 119 - but Sōichirō knocks off Mamoru's head, unveiling Karim in the costume looking like he's under some sort of spell, chanting he wants to kill Shinra. Shinra hears the voice of the mysterious woman again, manipulatively telling him to kill Karim. Fifth Pillar arc Shinra is seen in the company headquarters. The captain tells the director that there is a possibility of a new Adolla burst being born and they won't get help from other forces. He sees the mysterious woman again. He learns there is a fire theft. He decides to protect her whether she is good or bad. He is told to keep an eye out for her and the White Hoods. He arrives and finds her while battling Charon. He tries to persuade her from joining the White Hoods but in the end she joins them. He tries to stop Inca only to be stopped by the White Hoods. Toru and Juggernaut arrive to support Shinra. He enters another battle with Charon but is left confused by the girl's words. He catches up to her only to reengage Charon. He uses his training from captain Obi in his fight. He has a flash back of him and Maki at the company's headquarters, and comes up with a plan to overcome his opponent. The battle finally ends with Inca leaving with the White Hoods. Chinese Peninsula arc Tamaki is seen yelling for Shinra to hurry up, while Pan is doing roll call to make sure everyone is present for the mission. Haijima Industries arc Returning to the Skills Development Laboratory with Victor, Shinra has an Adolla Link with Nataku Son and learns the boy is at the compound and wants someone to help him. Agreeing to a combat test in order for the scientist to get data on Adolla Burst, he is pitted against Kurono Yūichirō, during which he struggles against his opponent. As they fight, Victor learns something is happening with Nataku, leading to him shout out to Shinra to get to him and stop the experiment. Leaving and coming to Victor's aid, the pair venture into the facility to find the boy. Discovering the boy is in Kurono's possession, the two resume their fight, and are discovered by the Company 8 after they broke into the compound. Demanding Kurono stop torturing Nataku, Charon launches into their confrontation in an attempt to capture the Sixth Pillar. Questioning how the White-Clad would know an Adolla Burst user would appear at the compound, he spots Inca, who he thought might have predicted the appearance. Engaging both Kurono and Charon in battle, Shinra and Arthur manage to grab the boy, but lose him after Inca attacks the pair with fire. While the different factions attempt to capture Nataku, a giant Infernal engulfs the boy in its core, prompting Shinra and Kurono to team up against the creature. Nataku goes loses control, attacking everyone with radiation beams. As a beam is about to hit Shinra, Charon intercepts the attack. While Charon covers him, Shinra attacks the giant with a kick that is ineffective. He tries to tell the boy to calm down, during which the two have another Adolla Link together. Afterwards, he watches Charon redirect a massive laser and Kurono slice apart the giant Infernal. With Nataku subdued, the White-Clad retreat, ending the battle. Following the incident, Shinra, Ōbi and Victor meet with Gureo Haijima. Operation Nether Investigation arc With Company 8 being requested to enter the Netherworld with Special Fire Force Company 2 to expose what experiments the White-Clad have been up to, Company 8 members are divided up amongst Company 2's search teams, leading to Shinra being assigned to Hebio's squad. Upon entering the Netherworld, his squad comes under attack by Infernals, leading to many deaths, during which he is attacked by Giovanni. When a Fire Soldier comes to his aid, Shinra saves him from Giovanni, and is soon joined by Arthur. During their fight, Giovanni informs Shinra that an Adolla link can only be made with another Adolla Burst user or someone who has had contact with Adolla, leading Shinra to recall him having an Adolla Link with Konro. Afterwards, Arthur bisects Giovanni. Surviving the cut, Giovanni uses his bugs to distract to pair while he escapes. Exiting the Netherworld, Shinra wonders how he had an Adolla Link with Konro. Stigma arc Wanting to know why he experienced an Adolla Link with Konro, Shinra and Hibana go to Asakusa. There, they discover Konro being attack by a White-Clad whom he defeats. Making their presence known, they begin to talk, and Konro informs the pair that he experienced an Adolla Link two years ago after killing the Demon Infernal he faced. Afterwards, the three return to the town and tell Benimaru that Konro is being targeted. Dodging Benimaru's hit, he notes Shinra is a better fighter. Informing Benimaru that some White-Clad are strong enough to withstand his strong attacks, Shinra asks him how he would fight them, and is told to use Superfire. He then tells Shinra to bring members of his company so he can train them together. The next day, he brings Arthur and Tamaki to train. As Shinra and Arthur engage Benimaru in battle, he instructs the two to go beyond their limits, and subsequently hazes the two. Resuming their fight, the two exhaust themselves over five hours, and eventually Shinra learns Superfire, during which he has an Adolla Link with Sōichirō Hague and sees him being killed. Ōbi's Rescue arc Upon Ōbi being arrested, Company 8 decides to become traitors to the empire in order to rescue him, leading to Victor taking the company to Joker. After being taken to Joker's secret hideout, Shinra has an Adolla Link with Burns and discovers he intends to use a bug on Ōbi, prompting him and Joker to leave for Fuchū Prison. There, they find Burns who has Ōbi chained up, and Shinra and Joker attack him together. Trivia * is derived from the Japanese idiomatic lexeme , which, when translated, can mean either "all creation" or "all things in nature". * The superhero he is inspired by, the pose he does as a child, and his kicks allude to the tokusatsu superhero Kamen Rider Ichigo. * Shinra was ranked 1st in the first Character Popularity Poll. * Shinra's fighting style seems to take many pointers from the Brazilian martial art capoeira * According to his Character Profile in Fire Walk with Me: ** Shinra's favourite foods are ramen, hamburgers and fried food (like chicken). He doesn't dislike any sort of food in particular. ** Shinra's favourite type of music has a fast-tempo and a cool tune. ** Shinra likes fast animals and his favourite is a leopard or a panther. ** Shinra's favourite colour is red. ** Shinra prefers beautiful people. ** Shinra highly respects Akitaru and his mother. He dislikes Arthur and good-looking people and finds Takehisa scary. ** Shinra's hobbies consist of soccer and futsal. ** His daily routine includes break-dancing and his dream is to become a hero. ** Shinra's foot size is 27cm and his eyesight is 2.0. ** Shinra's favourite subject is mathematics, while his least favourite is national language. References es:Shinra Kusakabe fr:Shinra Kusakabe it:Shinra Kusakabe pt-br:Shinra Kusakabe ru:Шинра Кусакабэ uk:Сінра Кусакабе Category:Characters Category:Male Characters Category:Third Generation Category:Fire Soldier Category:8th Special Fire Brigade Category:Fourth Generation Category:Pillars